While I Was Sleeping
by IrishKitty
Summary: Set After the Gift. My intake on how and why Buffy comes back.
1. Default Chapter

Title: While I was sleeping  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: The characters all belong to Joss Whedon etc.  
Summary: Spoilery for the Gift. My intake on how and why Buffy wakes from the dead.  
  
Buffy slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, except there didn't seem to be any. She felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, she stood-up and frowned remarking dryly, "Well, the after-life really isn't all it's cracked-up to be"  
"That's because your not in it Buffy"  
Whirling round Buffy found herself face to face with a familiar figure that she couldn't quite place and said the first thing that came to her confused mind, "Huh?"  
Smiling slightly the man answered with an Irish lilt, "You're in nothing, seems the PTB haven't quite decided to let you go. Can't quite understand myself but I guess that's the way it goes" Pausing he looked at her still confused expression, "You don't remember me do you?"  
Buffy shook her head almost apologetically, "Sorry, you kinda seem familiar but the name's not coming"  
"Makes sense, you only saw me for a couple of minutes. Cordelia dragged me out to give the two of you space while yous "talked" out your differences. I'm Doyle, friend of Angel's"  
Recognition flashed over Buffy's face and she smiled somewhat in relief, "Right, i remember you. Oz mentioned you were big on the drink after he delivered something to Angel for me"  
Embarrassed Doyle quickly changed the subject, "Right, well the PTB-"  
He stopped cut-off by Buffy's blank look, "The PTB?"  
"Powers that be, they're the big noise in everythin' worldly and un-worldly too probably. Anyway, they decided after weighin' up their options that it'd be best for them to bring you back. Your death didn't cause an activation of the next slayer considerin' you weren't the current slayer and since that other one's in jail the world's probably gonna crumble from under everyone on it's feet". He stopped to take in the look of dread on her face and hastily added, "Course you do have the choice"  
Cautiously Buffy looked up at him, "A choice? What kind of choice?"  
Looking at her seriously for the first time he answered calmly, "The choice to go to paradise, heaven whatever you want to call it or to go home, back to Earth and your friends"  
For the first time since she woke-up Buffy realised what she was feeling, peace. The problem was, she liked it a little too much.  
  
Pacing in what she had discovered was a completely white narrow corridor Buffy looked accusingly at Doyle, "So basically your saying that i have the choice of going on to heaven or whatever, spending the rest of eternity with my mother and doing whatever i want. Or going back to Earth to avert apocalypses, fight demons and the rest of the slaying duties?"  
Doyles shrugged helplessly, "Well, yeah but we really do need you to go back if you don't mind"  
Buffy stalked over to him and shoved him up against the wall angrily, "If i don't mind? Of course i mind! I've done the whole slaying thing and i've stopped at least five apocalypses and god knows how many demons and vampires. It's meant to be over, i'm meant to just stop now, all of it's meant to stop". She gently let go of him and looked at the clean white floor which now that she thought about it reminded her of the hospital floor. Actually, the whole corridor reminded her of a hospital full stop. Oh god, she was being asked to make a big decision in a hospital of all places, they couldn't have picked a nice hot beach in the South of France or...  
Her mind rambling was stopped as Doyles placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "It's not going to be easy Buffy, no-one's saying it is and no-one's telling you what your answers to be"  
Looking up she gave him an amused look, "Then why are you here?"  
Smiling at her he answered innocently, "Me? Oh, i'm just along for the ride princess"  
She smiled before her brow creased and she frowned again, "How long do i have to decide?"  
"What? You've still got a couple more stages to go through before you make your decision darlin', this is just the first step"  
She grinned at him in amusement, "The first step? What have i wandered into the AA or something?"  
"No love, you've wondered into No Mans Land"  
Before she could reply he reached out and touched her temple, just before her vision blacked out completely she could see Doyle's encouraging smile. And then everything went black.  



	2. Chapter2

Chapter Two of While I Was Sleeping  
Rating:PG  
Summary:Buffy has been given the choice of going back to Sunnydale or on to heaven.  
Disclaimer:The characters all belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the rest. I am merely playing with them.  
  
Opening her eyes slowly, Buffy squinted in the sunlight and looked around. From what she could make out she was sitting on a bench in some sort of swing-park where a couple of kids were playing about, muttering out-loud, "Still not seeing my beach in France yet"  
Suddenly she felt a small tug on her sleeve and looked down to see a little red-haired girl of about six or seven pointing to her tennis shoe expectantly. For some reason Buffy instantly felt like she knew her and smiled kindly, "Can i help you?"  
The little girl nodded shyly, "Shoe-lace"  
Looking down at her shoe realisation swept over her and Buffy knelt down next to her to tie the lace, "I'm Buffy, want to tell me your name?"  
Admiring Buffy's work she answered quietly, "I'm Willow, my mommy says i'm not s'posed to talk to strangers but there was no-one else here"  
Buffy froze as soon as she heard the girl's name, swallowing she stood-up, "Well, that's you all set. You can go play now Willow"  
Shyly Willow offered her hand, "You can play too if you like, no-one will find out"  
Frowning slightly at Willow's words Buffy took her hand and walked with her towards the group of kids playing in the sandbox. A little dark-haired boy instantly ran over as soon as he saw the pair and looked disapprovingly at Willow, "You know we're not to play with her no more. She left us"  
Willow gripped Buffy's hand tighter and shook her head at the boy, "No, she might stay this time Xander. Maybe she didn't means to leave"  
Glaring at Willow Xander walked away towards the swing-set and Buffy mused quietly to herself, "Stubborn even as a kid". She smiled a little as Willow instantly took after Xander with child-like worry in her eyes. Kneeling down she looked at the two remaining little girls playing with their dolls and a digger truck in the sand; "Let me guess, you two must be Tara and Anya"  
The blonde, whom Buffy guessed to be Tara, looked up and smiled shyly at her before looking back down at her doll. Anya looked at Buffy warily before speaking quietly, "Xander says you don't like us anymore. That you've found new people to play with". Anya's voice dropped even lower as she quietly whispered with scared eyes looking at Buffy, "But they'll come for us anyway, now that you're gone"  
"I don't think i know what you mean", Buffy frowned at Anya.  
She glanced at Tara who was chanting quietly to her doll in a scared voice, "Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide"  
Buffy stood-up completely bewildered and started to walk away from the sandbox to the slide where a small figure sat staring into space with something in it's arms. As she neared the slide Buffy smiled recognising the small boy sitting at the top immediately, "Hey Spike, what you doing"  
He looked down at her indignantly answering like a typical six year old, "Nothing, none of your buisness"  
Buffy sat down at the bottom of the slide and looked up at him, "Well, what you doing up there by yourself? How come you're not playing with the other kids?"  
He looked down at her and shifted the thing in his arms, "Don't like 'em and they don't like me. And i ain't by myself". He proudly shifted the bundle again to let Buffy see what it was.  
Buffy looked at him suspicously as soon as she saw it, "Spike, where did you get that baby?"  
He grinned at her, "Not tellin' you"  
Sighing in frustration she folded her arms deciding to play along considering she had been sent here for a reason, "Fine, want to tell me its name?"  
He considered this for a minute and scrunched his face up in child-like concentration finally smiling at her, "All right, if you promise not to tell anyone. She's a secret, they'll come get her if they find out"  
Buffy sighed, "Great more riddles, can never get a straight answer out of anyone these days". Raising her voice she replied, "Fine, i promise"  
Nodding slightly as if in approval Spike whispered to her, "She's called Dawn"  
"Great", Buffy muttered to herself, "Now i have a six year old kid on the top of a slide holding my baby sister as well as having to figure out all the little clues they keep giving me. Could this day get any worse?"  
Apparently it could because at that moment Spike decided to hold Dawn dangerously over the side of the slide as a small smile played at his mouth.  



	3. Chapter3

Chapter Three  
  
"Spike! If you drop her i'll....", Buffy trailed off she could hardly say she'd kill him, he was only six years old.  
Looking down at her Spike grinned, "You'll what?"  
Buffy frowned, "I'll...just don't do it okay? Be a good boy for a change"  
Spike sighed and pulled Dawn back into his arms muttering, "She'll die anyway, once they all start coming"  
"Once who start coming?", Buffy asked her frown increasing.  
He looked solemnly at her for a moment and aswered quietly, "The bad people"  
Sitting down at the bottom of the slide Buffy put her chin on her hands and muttered to herself, "Right, i'm supposed to figure that one out aren't i? This sucks, i'm sent here to figure out stuff and all i get are answers off of six years olds who talk too much about nothing"  
On that last remark Buffy's vision went blurry and before she completely black out she murmered, "Oh no, not again"  
  
The first thing Buffy noticed when she woke-up was the deep brown eyes looking at her intently, surprised she sat up and shoved the person away, "Okay, that's creepy"  
"Sorry, you were just taking long to wake-up", answered a familar voice.  
"Ford?", smiling Buffy took his offered hand and stood-up, "Finally someone i can figure out, unless you revert back to the kind of guy you were when we last met"  
"Not a chance of that happening Summers, i ended up not going to Hell for some reason. I'm on the straight & narrow now ", he answered smiling before leading her over to a bench.  
"Hey! Hey, i know this place", looking around to make sure she continued grinning, "Hemery High, how i've missed you"  
Ford snorted, "Well i certainly haven't"  
"Oh come on, we like grew-up here, don't you miss it even a little?", Buffy asked sceptically.  
Ford shrugged, "I guess so but that's not why we're here"  
"Then why are we?", Buffy asked impatiently.  
Standing up Ford took Buffy's hand, "To show you what your life was like without Dawn"  
  



End file.
